ANOTHER YuGiOh Self Insert Story
by HanaElric
Summary: Yes, I know. You've probably read tons of these already. Or at least, tried to read. More than likely, you clicked off of them, angered by the Mary-Sue that was inside. I'm not going to claim that this isn't Mary-Sue, and I can assure you that it's a Self Insert. But what's inside this "fiction" is true. It's my adventures, and no. I didn't get to be a Mary-Sue. I wasn't that lucky
1. Chapter 1

It's every fangirl's dream. To be a Mary Sue in a fanfiction. They all want to meet the characters, and in some cases, fall in love with them. I was no exception. I didn't want romance, though. Just adventure.

I thought all the time that I wouldn't mind being a Mary Sue. Sure, they were hard to read fanfictions about, but everyone wanted to be in that position. So, if a magical portal opened up right now, and took me into YuGiOh, I'd be happy! Or at least, I thought I would.

Nothing ever goes as planned, does it?

I'm an obsessive person, I'll admit that. When I get into a show, I get _really_ into a show. Is that a bad thing? I didn't think so.

So I RolePlay. I think it's cool. Yeah, yeah, I'm sure it has it's bad reputation and whatnot. What character am I? No no, that's for later.

But I did roleplay as a cannon character. Do you spell it cannon or canon? Eh, I'll let the reviewers correct me. What? Oh, no that's not an author's note. Because what I'm typing, even though I'm posting it as fanfiction, really happened.

Oh yeah, go ahead and laugh. Why would I post it as fanfiction? Well, would anyone else believe me long enough to read this? I didn't think so. I know, you don't believe me either, but hear me out. This is not like every other fanfiction. Oh, I'm sure the "idea" has been done before, but like I said before, this happened. It certainly didn't happen the way I wanted it to, though.

No, I didn't get my wish. I wasn't a Mary Sue. Oh, no. That would have actually been manageable and fun. No, this wasn't like that at all. And no, don't worry, this isn't going to be a 51295 chapter, 19530464894643 word adventure in which I make all the characters love me. No, that would have been too lucky.

So, how did I get there? Well, I'll start from the beginning. Oh Ra, it's starting to sound cliché already.

So, I was just there, in my bedroom, thinking about being a Mary Sue. Yes, yes, it was all very stereotypical.

No, actually I was roleplaying with a friend over Skype.

Why yes, I do stereotypical fangirl mary-sue things. No, that's not where this is going, pay attention.

No no, you can't know who I was Roleplaying as yet. I'll tell you that it's a cannon character. That's all.

It'll spoil the surprise.

It's going to be interesting to have my friends read this, since I haven't told them of this little adventure of mine yet. I doubt they'll believe me.

I'm not going to describe myself to you either, because then I really will be a Mary Sue. Yes, I look like a cannon character in some very man-made, purposeful ways. I told you, I wanted to be a Mary Sue. I just didn't get my wish. I will tell you that I'm female, but I'm assuming you already guessed that.

Anyways, as I was saying,

I was roleplaying. It was just some Saturday afternoon, on and off fun sort of stuff. A lazy day. Course, I wasn't feeling well that day. At the time, I had no idea why.

I hadn't felt like... _myself_... Oh, no I still _was_ myself. For the moment. But I felt funny. Hot, (It was December!) and odd, and not entirely myself.

But I went right on with my roleplaying. Completely oblivious to what was ahead of me.

I was dizzy for a while after that.

Oh great, now my symptoms were adding up? Just great. It was hard to see. If I just sat there long enough, everything would fix itself, I knew it.

Oh, how wrong I was.

I was just about to type to my role-play-companion about how odd I was feeling, when darkness started to creep into the corners of my vision. Oh no, not now. I had seen that before. Right before I almost passed out. Nope, I would NOT pass out at my keyboard. I concentrated hard on the screen, and the black receded. Oh, come on. There was nothing wrong with me!

I couldn't shake the dizziness. What was this? Something else started to make its way into the corners of my vision again. Blue? That made NO sense. Alright, fine then. FINE. I'd just pass out. Right there.

At my computer. I knew my friend would kill me for it later, but I concentrated on NOT passing out, and typed "brb" into the chat window.

And then I let my eyes blur, and supposed I was going to pass out. Only, I didn't.

Alright, yes, I know, "Oh look! Mary Sue pretty magical girl transformation!" No. No, that DIDN'T happen. I wish it had.

So, the blue mixed with purple and black and filled my vision. Did I pass out? I wasn't sure. I could still feel myself breathing, so maybe I hadn't?

It was like a tunnel, I realized. The Doctor Who theme started playing in my head, but I quickly silenced it, trying to remember that this was a serious situation.

That's when it started. Like I said, this wasn't a "magical-girl-sugoi-kawaii-senpai-desu" transformation. No, this was real.

As I said, I could feel myself breathing. And my dizziness was gone, quickly being replaced by a headache. Was there a floor there? I suppose there would have _had _to been, or else it wouldn't make any sense... but even though I could tell I was standing up, and thus something was holding my weight, I couldn't tell you what the floor was made of, or what it looked like. All I saw was the tunnel. The tunnel all seemed to be moving around me, but I suppose I was standing still? Or, maybe I was moving and the tunnel was being still?

Either way, that mattered little compared to what happened next.

My headache subsided, much to my delight and slight confusion. That was fast.

And then came the pain. It wasn't exactly painful so much as it was extremely uncomfortable.

What the flip was going on? Did I do drugs? Surely I'd remember that? This was downright trippy. Like I had been on some kind of hippie drug.

My skin burned all over for a minute, and I was honestly more confused than I was concerned about the pain.

I was trying to decide what was happening to me, but it was hard to tell. There was pain everywhere, on and off.

I realized what was happening when I finally got the common sense to look down at my hands. Shifting. The actual bones, and muscles, and skin were shifting. It would have seemed absolutely disgusting if I wasn't preoccupied by the fact that it was horribly uncomfortable. What was this, anyways? I could swear my hands were just slightly bigger now. Not cool.

My head itched, and my hair felt different. Oh, oh not cool. I liked my hair. What was this? Now I was almost certain I had taken something, or someone slipped something into my drink. This absolutely could _not_ be happening.

My stomach turned, and then my whole abdomen hurt. I nearly doubled over in pain, but then it stopped.

I was starting to dislike this greatly. When would this end? Oh please, let this trippy nonsense end.

Desperately at this point, I looked down at myself, needing information.

Ok, not cool. What? That didn't make any sense. I swear there was something _missing_.

Oh, come on! I know I made jokes, but I didn't exactly mean it!

I might have needed those someday! I would have sighed, if I wasn't still feeling so weird.

My lungs burned, and I felt hot all over. Everything felt odd, down to the bones and muscles of my face, to my teeth and my jaw.

My vision went blank, along with the burning in my eyes.

No, no not cool at all. I was starting to go from great dislike, to all out hate, of this situation.

My vision came back, blurry at first, and the first thing I did was look back down at myself. My clothes didn't even look right on me anymore. I wasn't even built the same. Well, all that pain had to be effecting _something_, I guess.

Sorry, but you wanted to know what really happened, right? I don't want to sugar coat the details. Being in a fanfiction, or wherever the flip I was, wasn't fun. It's not "Sugoi!" and it's not a magical girl adventure. Seriously, did you believe all of the fanfictions when they said it was all fun and games? Oh, just befriend Yugi, live in his house because Mary-Sue, and just flip up the plot line of the whole show at your own pace, all while trying to figure out how to get home? No. Not happening, Princess. You want to be in a fanfiction? Well, the road is hard, and it's not what you think. In fact, I don't think you _want _to be in a fanfiction. Just stay home and write a few.

Anyways, back to my pain.

Yes, I was still in pain. Well, it wasn't really pain, like I said before. More like extreme discomfort, and it hadn't ended yet.

I raised an odd feeling hand to touch my face. Oh, Flip. That didn't feel right at all. No, no no. Lowered the same hand to touch other places. No. No, this wasn't real. I wasn't falling through the flipping rabbit hole, into some kind of horribly painful version of wonderland.

I watched before my eyes as my _clothes_ changed. Well, that was odd. It made me feel kind of creepy crawly. But at least these fit better... Oh gosh. They did. But why? I was trying to ignore the discomfort that was slowly subsiding but still there, on and off, everywhere.

Only when I groaned in some broken whiny form of agony did I notice the difference. Well, that did feel awkward, too. But that _wasn't_ my voice. Not by a long shot. Not even remotely close. First off, that was a guy's voice. Oh.. Oh no... I was a guy?

What kind of awful horrible flipped up bit of hippie fairy magic was this? These things didn't happen in real life, right?! Wrong.

The voice was low even for a guy. My stomach turned again, this time in a mixture of complete horror and anxiety. What was happening? I needed to stop asking myself that, because I wasn't getting any answers any time soon.

I had no idea at that point, that it had anything to do with YuGiOh. I would figure out soon.

The awkward discomfort disappeared completely and I sighed in relief.

But that didn't last long.

I started to lose all feeling entirely.

I was still there. I could still tell I was in the same place as I was before, and I could still see everything. The blue tunnel. But I couldn't feel the wind against my face anymore. I couldn't feel myself breathing anymore. Was I breathing? I didn't feel the need to, anymore...

I started to consider the possibilities. Ok, so, maybe I passed out and was having some kind of horrible trippy dream? Maybe I had a fever? That must have been it. I had a fever and I was going to wake up in bed later, wondering where I was. That had to be it.

The tunnel had an end? Well then. Maybe something new would happen? I shouldn't have thought that, even to myself. I believe I jinxed it.

Why did I have to choose then to look at my hands again? Surely I couldn't have waited five minutes?

But no. I looked down at my hands in that moment, and cried out in surprise, which only surprised me more, considering that still wasn't my voice.

Transparent. Oh Ra. I was... that didn't even...

That's when I started putting two and two together.

Transparent...

That voice...

Those clothes...

Oh, oh I see. Totally a dream. A dream induced by a fever. Should I try to wake myself up? This dream was sort of unpleasant... I closed my eyes. Come on, come on, wake up. Just wake up, and this will all end.

No luck. Of course. I had to live some flipped up version of Alice In Wonderland first, right?

I really needed to stop jinxing myself. Seriously.

Heh. Leather pants. I was wearing leather pants. Ironic. What? Think I wasn't going to reference the abridged series this whole time? I told you, this "Story" _really happened_. I've seen the abridged, so I was thinking about it. Yes, I'm still saying that it really happened. Because it did. Why would I lie about this?

But of course, really being there wasn't like the abridged. Oh, and if you think that I magically became animated, I didn't. Nothing was. This was real. _Is_ real, technically. Now you're looking at the publish date to see if it matches the time I mentioned, aren't you. "It just turned December this week! You can't have done all that!" Did I say it was this year? No. No I didn't. I didn't specify _when_ this happened.

Anyway. Enough of my rambling. Back to me, realizing that I was not only no longer myself, but I wasn't at home, I wasn't in a dream, and I wasn't alive.

Oh yes, that little detail.

I came to that conclusion once before that, wondering if that was the cause of this whole thing, but I highly doubted that my clothes changing would have anything to do with it.

It's when I realized that I didn't need to breathe anymore that it really hit me.

I checked my wrist for a pulse. Strange. I could feel my other fingers over it, but it was muted. Like I was wearing gloves.

No pulse.

Oh gosh. Oh Ra. I was... I was...

I didn't have time to think about what I was, because I had come to the end of the tunnel, apparently. My vision sort of blurred again, at the end, but there was a room here?

It was a room. A room with stairs? I took a couple of unsteady footsteps further into the room as the tunnel completely disappeared. Well, fine then, tunnel. Just dump me. Leave me here, completely unaware of where I am, possibly of _who_ I am, to fend for myself. I'll get you back later, tunnel. I'll sing the Doctor Who theme. Loudly. And I won't stop. Dooweeeoooooooooooooo-

I had to remind myself that not only could the tunnel not hear me, but if it could, it probably wouldn't care.

There were stairs everywhere. On the ceiling? I knew exactly where I was, but I really didn't want to admit it. A mirror. I needed a mirror. I sounded different, and honestly, even though I'd always wanted to sound like this, it freaked me out. So I had to see if I looked different to match. I felt all of that weirdness, so I assumed that I did look different. Which wasn't cool. I had to know what I looked like.

If I hadn't been rejecting my current reality, I could have guessed exactly what I looked like. I knew that voice well enough. I knew the clothes. I knew the place. But I was rejecting it all. Because of course, as much as I wanted it to be, it wasn't real. That's it. I'd gone crazy. I'd finally lost it. I was probably on my bedroom floor, laughing like an idiot right now.

But it all looked so real...

I turned to my right to find... a mirror. Well. That's convenient. I needed one, so it just happened to pop up exactly where I needed it? But of course, that's how soul rooms wor- No. I wasn't in a soul room. Especially not my own. Because this wasn't a fanfiction, and I was myself. In every way.

But the mirror completely crushed the words I was repeating in my head. That wasn't me. Not even close. I looked solid here. Interesting.

Well, if you haven't guessed it yet, I suppose I'll finally tell you who's face was staring back at me in the mirror.

Yami Yugi.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Well, if you haven't guessed it yet, I suppose I'll finally tell you who's face was staring back at me in the mirror. **_

_**Yami Yugi. **_

Seriously? I made movements, to test if the mirror would match. Of course it did. Great. Just great. Shouldn't I be excited? Wouldn't everyone love to be their role play character?

I wasn't excited. Honestly, I was scared out of my mind. I may have had his face, but my expression didn't really match. Fear. Confusion. Complete and total lack of understanding at what was happening.

Well, if I'm going to have his face, I might as well try to pull it off, right? I took a deep breath, or, I would have, but I didn't seem to need oxygen anymore. Right. Right... well, the idea was nice. I tried to calm down. I was an "actor" right? Well, sort of. Role playing totally counted. I closed my eyes for a second, willing myself not to look so terrorized.

When I opened them, I found that I almost had the look down. Now I just needed to make people fear me.

What was I thinking? I didn't have time for this. Right? I mean, this is always where the main character tries to get home, right?

But that didn't mean I had to. I could enjoy this. Couldn't I?

Physical feelings were so muted here. So barely there. But _that_ I felt. What was it? It wasn't really physical, but I know I felt it. I stopped, looking away from the mirror, as I was trying to think and the difference in my own face was distracting me.

There it was again. Like I wasn't alone. Like someone was there with me. Close. So close. But not where I could see him. Him? Well then. I seemed to know that it was a boy without having to ask, or even think about it.

Maybe I was thinking about it too much?

I closed my eyes again, concentrating on that feeling. Someone was here. Or, close. No, not just close. Linked. We were connected, at the soul. I nearly shuddered. This was deep. Soul deep. And I could_ feel_ his soul, next to mine.

Ok, that was creepy. What was even creepier, is that it felt nice. No, no no, get your brains out of the gutter, all of you. Come on, I know you're probably teenagers, but really. Must everything be that way? No, that isn't how I meant it and you know it.

I could tell he was innocent. Sweet. Kind. Light. Light...

My brain was screaming at me, but my common sense refused to actually even try to accept what this was.

Yugi. It was Yugi.

My eyes were still closed in concentration. I could feel something else there, too. Something... magical? Something important. I was bound to it. Right... of course... the Puzzle...

So, this was really happening? Well then...

I didn't know what to do at that point. Should I try and talk to him? Was I really who I thought I was? I mean, was he also running around here too, or was I replacing him? Oh, that was real Mary Sue. At least I wasn't a fangirl.

Oh gosh, I wasn't even a _girl_ anymore at all. Oh gosh. I was a guy...

I'm going to leave out some details here, because even though I said I wouldn't sugar coat it, I don't want to mentally scar you all forever, either. So yes. Assume that I came to that realization very horribly in all of my genderbent glory.

Once I was at least a little accepting of that, (it wasn't _that_ different) I could focus on what to do next.

Curiosity? What? No, no I had to decide what to do, I didn't have time for-of course... it wasn't mine. Alright, if this was how it was going to be, I might as well at least try to contact him.

/Yugi?/

I had never tried to contact someone that way before. I had no idea if it would even work. How you use a "mind link" if you've never had access to one before?

-Oh! There you are! Hang on, I'll explain everything.-

That was strange. Hearing his voice like that. It was in my head, but then again, so was this room. So it was like I could hear it echoing off of the walls of the endless maze, but then again, not really. It was there, but it wasn't.

He was going to explain? He knew what was going on? A minute later, and I heard his voice just a little differently. This was closer. It was still in my head, but it felt closer, and more real.

"Yami?"

I had roleplayed with a Yugi before. Often, actually. But he was really here. This was really him. How should I react? How did he expect me to react? Did he even know who I was, or did he just assume that I was who I looked like?

There he was, having just turned a corner in this impossible maze.

His eyes met mine, and he smiled understandingly.

"I'll bet you're really confused right now."

I couldn't bring myself to speak, especially knowing that my voice would sound like...like...

This was surreal. That was Yugi. And he was standing there. In front of me. He wasn't a cosplayer. And he wasn't animated. He was real. He _is_ real.

I nodded at him, and he took my hand, which I hadn't expected at all, and started to lead me across the room.

We both looked solid enough, but that didn't mean anything. As he led me around corners and through hallways, I realized that I could only just feel the warmth of his hand. It felt unnatural. I should be able to feel that. But I couldn't. Not really. Just enough to know that my hand was in his. The rabbit hole. I fell into the freaking rabbit hole. Apparently, that included Yugi.

"C'mon, we can talk in my room!"

He was so... cute. Yes, I couldn't deny how cute he was. So happy. Carefree. His smile so genuine. I really hoped that he could explain all of this to me... how I was in a fictional show, or a fanfiction, or whatever it was I was in.

I noticed the difference in feeling as we walked out the door, and into the hallway. The room, or more accurately, maze, that we were in before was mine. I could tell that now. But the hallway, that was shared space. And we were about to enter Yugi's space.

Part of me felt bad. These weren't just rooms. They were rooms of our minds, right? Rooms of our souls... I shouldn't even be allowed in his, should I?

But I didn't really have a choice as he was still holding my hand, pulling me into the room.

I was instantly at peace. His room was nice. Bright. Comfortable. Warm. He caught the relaxed look on my face, and smiled.

There was a bed at the back of the room. He sat on it, and gestured for me to do the same. I sat, still very, very confused at what was happening.

"So, you're probably not used to all this yet, huh?"

He was still smiling. Obviously this wasn't a bad thing, or he wouldn't be so happy. Unless of course he didn't know what was really going on.

"N-No... I'm not..."

Still not my voice. Nope. I didn't know if I'd ever get used to it, either.

"Guess I've got a little explaining to do."

Yes, please explain to me why I'm in a Mary Sue fanfiction, Yugi. I don't really want to be a fictional character... I thought I did, but I was wrong! So wrong!

"Please..."

"So, you roleplay as Yami, right?"

Well, yeah, but... that didn't make sense... how was it Role Play if he really existed? Where were we, anyway?

"Well, we saw it!"

I think I blushed. Was I blushing? I probably was. Great. Great way to make a first impression. How could they see it? It was all done over a computer screen. I thought they weren't real! How could they be real?

"He said it was pretty good, actually!"

H-He did?! Good? I did a good job pretending to be him? Oh gosh, was he mad at me? That must have been it. I made the Pharaoh, who apparently actually existed, mad at me. The King of Games. Yugi noticed the look of terror suddenly on my face, because he said,

"Hey, it's ok! Don't worry! This isn't bad, you'll see. I think it'll be fun!"

Fun. Yugi. Yugi no, Stahp. What are you saying?

"Lemme explain. So, Yami saw you role playing. Something about this alternate dimension thing, I dunno, he explains it better than I do. Anyway, he said it was pretty good! That you really were into it... but... he wanted to show you what it'd be like to _really_ be him for a little while."

For me to... but I wasn't... not really... no, I couldn't be. Not even for a little while.

"B-But Yugi... I-I'm not-"

"For now, you are!"

But... I didn't want to really be...for how long? What if it was forever? Wait.

"But... if I'm... where is he?"

"For now, you literally _are _him."

"I... I am?"

Oh come on... these things didn't happen. Especially not to me! I was just a fangirl! What happened to my Mary Sue fic! I wanted to live in Yugi's house! I wanted to make friends with all the characters! This wasn't what I wanted.

"Mhm! Can't you tell? Oh, he said the magic might hurt a little at first... sorry..."

Yeah. It felt really weird. Magic? No. Not really. But... how else could I...

"I...It's ok...So... how long? Is.. is this real? I mean... I didn't think... you were real..."

"Mm... he said something about learning a lesson, or "playing him properly", or something. Oh, it's real! How was it that he explained it to me once... all fiction is real in different dimensions. For instance... Harry Potter might only be a book here, but the reason the author thought about it and wrote it, was because it really happened in another dimension. So, authors are just people who are really in tune with other dimensions! It's really cool, actually!"

So I had to learn a lesson? What could that be? Don't roleplay the King of Games unless you know EXACTLY what you're doing? I think I'd learned that alright. I'd learned that well. Could I go home, now? This was sort of odd feeling. Oh yeah... I wasn't... I...

"I'm... I'm dead. Aren't I."

Yugi's eyes shifted to the floor. He looked almost guilty.

"Yeah... but, don't worry! As soon as this is done, you'll go back to being yourself! No harm done!"

Well, how convenient. Of course, I wouldn't be sitting here writing this from another dimension, now would I?

I was still pretty confused. Everything felt different. Would I ever get used to it? I was getting used to the surreal, muted feeling everything had now. What I wasn't getting used to, was my own brain. Was I really... _thinking_... differently?

"You ok?"

How could Yugi possibly be as innocent as he was?

"Yeah... I think so... I'm just..."

I held my hands in front of my face. I could see the difference, now that I really looked. It just wasn't me. Not at all. This wasn't how this was supposed to work! When there was a magical portal to another dimension, it was supposed to be completely painless!

"It'll be ok. I'll help you!"

Help me? Wait. I started to realize where this was going. The real Yami brought me here because he caught me RolePlaying as him. He thought I was halfway decent, but he wanted to teach me a lesson. Which meant...

"This is a game, isn't it."

Yugi smiled. His smile warmed my soul, and I had just met the kid!

"Yup! Wow, that was quick! We wanted to see if you could play him as good in real life!"

So all I had to do was show off my serious Role Play skills? Alright then. It was ON. I could DO THIS. I hoped...

"So, I'm gonna have to teach you some things..."

Right... because I was... I wasn't even going to think the word right now.

"Alright..."

Honestly, I really wanted his help. I couldn't figure all this out by myself. I was only a fangirl, after all!

"You've literally taken his place, so that means that you can probably feel that I'm here, right?"

I nodded. It was an odd feeling. Similar to knowing you're being watched, or knowing someone else is in the room without having to look.

"Good! It all worked properly, then."

I assumed he was referring to whatever magic they had to use to get me here. Yes, it worked. Much to my discomfort.

I nodded.

"Don't look so scared."

He said, smiling at me. Man, was he the nicest teenage boy alive? I knew he was older than he looked. Finally, this fandom was helpful! He looked about 13. But I knew he was at least 16.

"Don't worry, I'll help you through this! It'll be fun! Remember, it's just a game!"

Sure, Yugi. You get your entire being changed, and then tell me it's "Just a game". Either way, I suppose I was in this for the long haul, now. I couldn't possibly, as a role player of the King of Games, lose a game to him.


	3. Chapter 3

_**I couldn't possibly, as a role player of the King of Games, lose a game to him. **_

So here I was, somewhere completely unfamiliar. Well, actually it _should_ be familiar, but it wasn't. I was in the hallway connecting our rooms, arms folded, leaning back against the wall. The stone should have felt cold, but it didn't. Curious, I turned around and put a hand to it. Still nothing. I couldn't tell you what temperature it was. Or even what it was made of, even though I could see it was stone. Or at least, looked like stone. But I couldn't feel it. Not really. Just enough to know it was there.

Surprisingly enough, I was getting used to that part. When you had basically all of your ability to feel taken away at once, it didn't take long to get used to.

Yugi had explained it to me.

All I had to do was pretend to be Yami for a little while. I had to Role Play. That was my challenge. That was the game. It was all a game to see if I could role play him in real life, like I did on the internet. Hah. Huge difference between the two. If I had tried typing on a keyboard then, I probably couldn't even have felt the keys under my fingers.

So, let me get this straight real quick.

I was sitting at the computer.

I started feeling funny.

And now not only am I basically a ghost, but I have to play my character, _for real_?

The character that I try to sound like over the internet for fun?

I had to literally _become_ my character.

It was freaking scary!

I guess there was a little bit of fun thrown in there, but I mean, really? Here I was, actually speaking with a character who I thought was just that. A character. I spoke to Yugi Mutou. The REAL, Yugi Mutou.

I came to terms with the fact that it was real a couple of hours after Yugi left, and I left his room. Everything I was experiencing was 100% real. Of course, or I wouldn't be writing about it.

I played this character a thousand times. I typed lines I thought he might say. I tried to get in his head, to really know him, to play him well enough to impress people. But I never, in a million years, thought I would be in a situation like this. When I talked now, everything I said sounded like him, because I actually had his _voice_!

Not only that, but I could never even imagine what the whole experience was like.

No one could ever imagine this strange feeling that I assume came from... well, being a spirit. Or, really it's a lack of feeling I guess. I hadn't taken a single breath since I was in the blue Doctor Who tunnel. I didn't need to. As someone who breathed without ever stopping for 19 years before that, I was a little shocked at how fast I had gotten used to not breathing. Ok, fine, it probably wasn't really a Doctor Who tunnel, but it really looked like it! I actually had trouble getting the theme out of my head for a while after that.

Hold everything. Yugi said that most fiction was real in other dimensions. FLIP, YEAH. THE DOCTOR EXISTS.

For a minute, I thought, "Ok, next I go to THAT dimension!"

But that idea was quickly squashed, considering if _**this**_ was what happened when I came to what was apparently the Yu-Gi-Oh dimension, I didn't even want to think about what the Doctor Who dimension might contain.

I have to admit, I was a little depressed there for a minute. Well, I wouldn't call it depressed. Just a little... down. I had been standing in this same hallway for a couple of hours now. I wondered if you could tell time was passing in here. Apparently, you could. Or at least, it felt like you could. Oh gosh, how much time was passing back at home? Nah, I couldn't worry about that right now.

How should I have looked at the situation? I mean, on one hand, I was away from everything I've ever known, with not even my own heartbeat to reassure me, or comfort me, and on the other hand, I was in a place that very few would ever get to travel to! Even though everyone wanted to! Not everyone got to experience something like this! I should appreciate it!

But I'm me.

So I would have rather made a huge joke out of it, and went on.

So, having read what you have so far, would you still jump head first into that magical-girl-multidimensional-portal?

I wouldn't, if I were you.

Would I do it all over again, if I had the chance? Yeah. I would. Why? Well, I'm not finished telling the story, yet! I know it seemed pretty bleak for me right then, but that was only the beginning! Good stuff happened too!

Honestly, I was a little scared to be alone, after Yugi left.

He explained the rules to me.

He knew who I really was, but he was going to call me "Yami" anyway. As per the rules, and to help me stay in character.

Tea, Tristan and Joey were not to know that anything was different. I had to play my part perfectly in front of anyone who wasn't Yugi. No one else could know I wasn't really Yami.

Bonus points if I could make Yugi forget who I really was.

Oh, like _that_ was going to happen. No, I could_ totally_ make Yugi forget that I wasn't actually _the other half of his soul_. Or so they said, anyway.

No, there would be no bonus points for me.

Was it possible to get bored, standing here for this long?

Yeah. Totally possible.

I was bored.

Very bored.

Ok, options... options...

Explore what was going to serve as my Soul Room for the next little while?

Well... I could, but it seems dangerous... But I might as well go back in there, anyway. Standing in the hallway all day isn't going to do anyone any good.

I opened the door and I could feel the transition from shared space, to my space. I took a few minutes to look around, not going far.

Bored again.

Maybe I would just take a nap. Wait. Was that even possible anymore? Oh gosh, wasn't sleep important? Well, maybe not.

Bored and desperate, I stood in the middle of the room, spread my arms out in the "T" position, and let myself fall backwards, onto the (what should have been) cold, stone floor.

Oh, come on!

It didn't even hurt.

That should have at least been uncomfortable!

Ah, well. I guess that comes with the territory.

I closed my eyes. It was obvious that sleep was never coming, but I tried, nonetheless.

If I was here long enough, would I forget what feeling even felt like? That sort of concerned me. I mean, I did get to go back, right? Because as much as I complained, and as much of a joke as I made everything in life... I would miss it, if I had to live this way instead, forever.

So this was what had become of my little adventure into another dimension? How was that even possible, anyway?

I was starting to feel lonely. Wait. I knew this show. I knew how this worked. I was never really alone, was I? Maybe if I just concentrated...

There he was. Well, I felt less lonely now. I could tell he was still there, and that's all I needed.

Now to think about this whole situation, just a minute.

So I had to play my character, eh?

Well, I could do that. Couldn't I? I mean, I played him over the internet all the time, right? So surely this wouldn't be that different, right? Wrong again.

Huh. Was I a Mary Sue? No, I couldn't think like that. I had to become my character mentally just as much as I was physically... or, spirit-u-ally? I guess...?

Well, good flipping luck with that. Because as much as I sometimes tried to convince myself otherwise, I was far from mentally being my character. I even fangirled sometimes. Yes. I fangirled. Over girly things. Kittens, and Kawaii chibi things, and oh gosh, how was I going to do this? In reality, as much as I didn't want to admit it, I was about as far from my character as the sun was the earth. That was a lot of miles. Or something. How would I manage to play him all the time? Physically, mentally, realistically? How could I do it?

What would happen if I lost the game? Surely he wouldn't leave me here forever...?

I couldn't lose. There was no way I could lose a game to him. So, I had to make this as entertaining for myself as possible, all while trying to win. Right. Easy. Oh gosh, how would I do this... wait, didn't Yugi say he was going to have to teach me things? Maybe he would help? He said he would... Of course he would. I didn't doubt him.

Could I still be sarcastic as flip in my head, and then be my character on the outside? Would that work? It had better, because I didn't think I could turn it off _all_ the time.

It occurred to me around that point that I would actually have to leave that room. What? No. I didn't want to go in the outside world. Did I? I mean, sure, this room was boring, but I didn't want to have to try to do this in front of other people... I hadn't really even gotten to know Yugi yet either! No, I'd have to get to know him before I even tried this in front of Joey or Tea or Tristan or anyone else who happened to know of my existence. My? Hah. I was on the right track. First person thoughts. That's how in-character I wanted to be. I could get through this. I mean, all I had to do was Role Play! And even the character I was playing thought I was good at that! Right?

But he also put me in this situation for a reason... to teach me a lesson...because apparently I didn't play him well enough...

I was doomed. DOOMED.

I was already dead! How much more did I need to be completely doomed?! That's it. It was over. Whatever was going to happen if I lost, that could just go ahead and happen, because I was doomed. Doomed. I would never see my family again and- wait. No. I couldn't. My best friend was at home waiting on me, and I was NOT going to give up as long as she was there. No, I'm not Tea. In all actuality, I've met Tea, and she's very nice, and doesn't do that friendship speech thing, but I'm not to that part yet!

I'd do it for my friend, if not for myself. Then again, I was pretty selfish. But I had to get back to her, if it was the last thing I did.

Hah. She'd be laughing at me if she could see me now. If only she was here...

Ok, that's what NOT to do. I couldn't sit here and sulk. But it had been hours now, and I was running out of things to think about...

What about that fanfiction I read the other day where-no. No, I didn't even have time for that. If you just thought "Ain't nobody got time for that!" Congrats. You're up to date on memes. As of a year ago.

Oh, come on! Something _happen_ already!

At which point I decided never to think that again. I jinx everything, I swear.

-Alright, I've finally got some free time! Ready for lesson one?-

What? But, wait! I know I said I was bored, but what's lesson one?! No, I'm not ready! But, it didn't seem that Yugi was actually waiting on an answer because at that moment, the room I was in faded, and I was somewhere else entirely.

I gasped.

Wait.

Air.

Beautiful clean _warm _air.

Don't ever take for granted...well, anything. But particularly the ability to feel the air around you, and decide what temperature it is.

Having all feeling suddenly taken away from you is _nothing_ compared to having it returned. I could _breathe _again. I could feel the warm breeze from the open window against my face. I wanted to touch something, anything, just to feel it. But that would probably look stupid...

Wait. What happened? Where was I?

A quick scan of the room and I decided it was a bedroom... a very familiar looking-of course... Yugi's bedroom... but if I was in Yugi's bedroom...

-See? It's pretty easy!-

Not used to hearing a voice in my head yet. Especially not Yugi's. It sounded an awful lot like the English dub, too. Kawaii. No, now was NOT the time for fangirling.

Wait, what's easy? What happened?

Oh.

Duh.

He must have pushed me into control.

But did that mean...? Was I...? I was literally _possessing_ him. Oh, that was a comforting feeling. Not.

I will never be able to fully describe what it feels like to know that the "meat-suit" you're in, isn't your own. Why yes, I did just reference Supernatural. You're welcome. Likely, most of you haven't ever felt anything like it before. Well, if you guessed it would feel weird, you would be right. It was weird.

I looked at my hands. No, _his_ hands. He was alright with this? What was I thinking? I knew this fandom better than anyone else. But here... it was _real_. And that made it different...

I couldn't do this. I wasn't Yami. No matter how much I looked like him, or even sounded like him, I wasn't. Just wasn't, and I couldn't do this. But I had to do _something_. And so I did the stupidest thing I could have at that moment.

I had been standing at the foot of his bed.

I fell forward onto it, trying not to let the Puzzle stab me in the ribs, and sighed in complete contentment.

What?  
_You_ try laying on a stone floor that you can't even_ feel _for a few hours and then tell me that wasn't totally rational. Ok, so maybe it was a little... unnecessary. But only a little.

I could hear Yugi laughing lightly. Doggone it Yugi, if you're going to keep being cute, this is going to be hard.

-It's funny, he did the same thing just after we got back from Duelist Kingdom.-

Well then. Wasn't I playing my character well? Totally rational. I rolled over onto my back, tired hard not to think about how it wasn't mine at all, and put my hand on the Puzzle, realizing for the first time that I was actually touching the real thing.

I had always wanted to see the real one. Ok, so maybe I had convinced myself before any of this even started that it was real, or something. Maybe. It didn't matter, because I really did get to touch the real thing.

It was beautiful.

"Yugi..."

Never ever going to get used to having a different voice, not ever.

"What do I do...?"

If anything the fanfictions said were true, he could probably actually feel just how confused and sort of scared and lost I was.

-Well, there's nothing I have to do for a while, so you can spend as long as you want just getting the hang of everything. First you should probably stand up.-

How was he so cute? He laughed a little at that last part. Alright, I guess he was right. I slowly stood back up, regretting leaving the comfort of the bed. Who knew when I'd get to feel that again? What did he mean, to 'get the hang of everything'?

Oh. That's what.

When I stood up I noticed how generally different everything felt than what I was used to. He was a little shorter than I had been before all of this, which you'd think wouldn't be noticeable, but it was. He was just... generally built differently. I assumed a lot of that was because he was a guy. But it just felt.. different.

It dawned on me that this was going to be the only way for me to live for the next little while. Because when I wasn't here, I wasn't technically alive. It was this, or the way I felt before, in the soul rooms.

I put a hand over my heart. No, Yugi's heart. There it was. A steady heartbeat. But it wasn't mine. I could feel it, just as well as I could have felt my own, before I came here. But it wasn't mine. It was an odd feeling, to know that the heartbeat you can feel in your own chest isn't yours.

"Yugi... are you sure... you're really alright with this...?"

It felt sort of... wrong, if I really thought about it...

-Hm? Oh! Yeah! Don't worry, I'm used to it.-

Right... he had this happen all the time... it looked so different here, than on a manga page. Felt so different... because you can't get the full feel of what's going on from a manga page, or even an anime scene. It doesn't give you any inside information. Fanfiction can, but then, how canon is it? And that all depends on who wrote it.

No, this was closer to the story, to the world, than I ever thought I could be. Is this really what all the fangirls wanted? They wanted to come here, to do this?

Well, this is a little different than being your average Mary-Sue. Ok, a lot different. I wasn't even _myself_. Which reminded me, I had to play this character. I wasn't just here to have fun, I had to act. I had to make this believable.

An unbelievably strong wave of homesickness hit me. This was all entirely unfamiliar. It wasn't even my _heartbeat_. Or my hands. Or even my eyes. How could I do this? I mean, sure, I could play a character, but this whole world was different. None of this was me, besides my thoughts. They were really the only piece of me I still had left...

-So, you wanna try for yourself?-

Try what? Oh... I'd have to learn to do that myself, wouldn't I... what if Yugi was in danger? I'd have to be the one to protect him... I could understand how to be protective. I had a younger brother. I had friends. Maybe I could do this? But I would have to learn to take control for myself... it still felt a little wrong... but Yugi was ok with it...

Alright, first thing's first, figure out how to give Yugi back what was rightfully his anyway. I'd just take a backseat. I put my hands around the Puzzle. That was technically where I was about to go, wasn't it...? Now just how to get there...

It was honestly a lot harder than I expected.

-I keep forgetting you've never done this before. Here, lemme show you.-

And I saw it. Well, saw and felt it, at the same time. And I was able to recognize it for what it was even though I shouldn't have been able to. A memory. I knew how switch places with him, now. So, he could show me his memories?

I closed my eyes and retreated. Letting go of control wasn't as hard as I originally thought, once I'd figured it out. I wondered what would happen if we fought for it. Wait. I was forgetting about the show again. The scene in the anime with Kaiba on the tower ready to fall to his death, came back to me. Yugi on his knees, crying out in fear. No, I wouldn't do that.

I vowed then and there never to do that to him.


	4. Chapter 4

_**The scene in the anime with Kaiba on the tower ready to fall to his death, came back to me. Yugi on his knees, crying out in fear. No, I wouldn't do that. **_

_**I vowed then and there never to do that to him. **_

Once he showed me how through his memories, it was easy enough to give control back to him. But the instant I did, I lost all feeling of life again. No more air, no more warmth, no more heartbeat. But that was alright, because those things weren't really mine, anyway. Not here. At home they were mine, but I was far from home.

-Good! Now come back on your own.-

What? He wanted me to do that _again_? Didn't he ever get sick of it? The way modern TV made it look, possession was not something people should want, or even allow to happen. Yet here he was, offering to let me, (who was alive last week, I swear) possess him at will. In fact, he was helping me figure out how to do it! That was all kinds of wrong. This dimension is flipped up.

But I did it. My first breath was a little less of a gasp that time. It wasn't that hard to take control from him. But I felt forceful. It was almost too easy to cut him off from his senses. Too easy, to push his soul out of the way, and take the space for my own. I felt mean... Was it that easy for him to push me out of the way when I was the one in control? I didn't think so.

-Ok, this next one was hard the first few times I tried, but after you get the hang of it, it's easier, ok?-

What? There was something else? This was a lot more complicated than the anime made it look... if I hadn't been neck deep in this fandom before I came here, I'd probably be very lost already.

He showed me another memory. I thought I could emulate that. Yes, I could do that. Now just to try it for real.

I "stepped back" and allowed Yugi control again. But this time I didn't 'step all the way back', so to speak. It's really kind of hard to describe. It's sort of like taking one step back, instead of two. Instead of being back in my Soul Room, I was still in Yugi's bedroom. Transparent again...

Yugi turned to look at me. This was the first time I was seeing his real face outside of our soul rooms. Big eyes, as to be expected from this character. But he wasn't just a character. He was standing right in front of me. A person. With likes, and dislikes, and a personality, and a life...

He smiled.

"Cool! I'd say we got that figured out pretty quickly!"

He sat on his bed, (which I now know for fact was very comfortable) and I sat beside him, hoping to start a conversation. I had to get to know him better.

"You can show me memories?"

I shouldn't mention my voice again, but it literally surprised me nearly every time I spoke at that point. It was drastically different from the one I was used to, and that really makes an impact, if it's the one coming out of your mouth.

"Oh, yeah! You don't have to, but if you wanted, to demonstrate, I could show you one of mine and you could show me one of yours?"

I nodded. I had no problem with that. Memory sharing sounded really cool, actually. Wait.

"Maybe you could show me something with him in it? To help me a little..."

Any information I could get about the character I was attempting to play, was better.

"Oh, good idea! Hmm... when's a good time...Got it!"

When I was watching his memory, I could see and hear and feel everything he could at the time. I could even hear what he was thinking at the time.

The one he decided on was a fairly short moment, in which Yugi was trying to better explain his situation to his friends.

I listened closely, wanting any information I could get about these people before I actually had to meet them.

"So, you're sayin' he can hear us right now?" That accent was unmistakeable. Joey.

"Mhm!" 'How many times do I have to explain it before people get it? Ah well... as long as they're friends with him, too!'

"Wait, so if I was to say, 'The Pharaoh is an idiot', he'd hear me?" Tristan said with a smirk on his lips.

"Guys! Yes, he heard you. Besides! You wouldn't want to end up in the Shadow Realm, would you?" Yugi joked. 'Course, we'd never do that.'

"No, no I was just kidding, I swear!"

They all laughed, and then Joey was the first to break the new silence.

"But really, how's it work? Kinda confusing, ain't it?"

Yugi sighed. 'I can't explain it right...'

/Need help?/

There it was. That was the same voice that came out of my mouth now, but that was the real deal. That was the character I was playing. This would be helpful.

-Yes please! I can never explain it right. Maybe they'll get it if you explain it.-

Yugi shifted to stand beside 'himself', so he could watch. He was alright with standing, invisible, beside himself? His friends couldn't hear him this way. They would never know he was there.

They didn't even notice the change, until he spoke.

"It's sort of the same way Yugi can still hear everything you're saying now. It doesn't exactly matter which one of us you can _see_."

They all looked surprised. He kept explaining, and just as they seemed to be getting it, the memory faded.

If everyone could do this, the world would be a different place. I was sort of in stunned awe still, just at the idea of getting to actually experience someone else's memories.

"How do I show you one of mine?"

I was starting to see the upside of this whole situation. The cool side. The side that didn't scare me half to death.

"Well, fist you've gotta think of one. The stronger the better."

"It can be anything?"

He nodded. This would be interesting. I needed something he'd understand... something that would make sense, even though I'm from a completely different dimension.

This one might work... See, I didn't just role play as this character... I cosplayed as well... so I used to go to conventions dressed as him. Not that I pulled it off. My voice wasn't anything like his, and I looked basically nothing like him, but it was all in good fun. But the kids. The little kids, didn't know that. Maybe that's what I'd show him.

"I've got one..."

"Good. Now focus on it."

Alright, I could do that... I could still see this one pretty vividly in my head... it was simple, but it should be enough...

Suddenly, it was like I got tapped on the shoulder. Only, that couldn't be, because I currently had very little ability to feel. It was like a mental tap on the shoulder... someone was trying to get my attention? I looked back at Yugi.

"Feel that?"

I nodded. How did he do that?

"Concentrate on that, ok? It's hard to explain but not hard to do. All you really gotta do is send it to me. It's pretty simple!"

He was smiling. I had only known the kid for a little while. Not really long enough for any two normal people to judge each other. But this wasn't normal. I was literally tied to his soul...

I closed my eyes and thought about this. So, all I had to do was send it to him... I watched it play in my mind's eye, and I wondered if he was seeing it too. Would he be able to hear what I was thinking at the time, too, like I did when I watched his memory?

I was at a convention, dressed as Yami Yugi. The teenagers who watched the show as kids got a kick out of it, and lots of people asked for hugs and pictures.

And they were a big part of the reason why I did it. But they weren't the whole reason.

A little boy came up to me. His eyes were lit up as if he was witnessing someone famous, or a superhero.

"C-Can I get a picture with you?" He glanced back at his mom, who had the camera. He was maybe 6 years old. Really cute little thing. I smiled, and tried to make it look in-character.

"Of course."

When I activated my toy duel disk, his jaw dropped and he looked even more excited. I pulled the Celtic Guardian from the top of the deck, and posed with it, on one knee, so he could get in the picture too.

He was just a kid. He didn't know that I wasn't really my character. It was like working at Disney World for a day. I lived for the moments when kids recognized me.

His mom got a couple of pictures, and I stood up, back to my full 5'5 with those boots on. He grinned at me, and then a good Thor cosplayer caught his eye. He raced to get a picture, and his mother followed, but not without first turning to me and saying a sincere, "Thank you!"

That was it. Did it work?

"So that's why you chose him to role-play as?"

It worked. I successfully shared a memory with someone. Cool! Beyond cool! Brilliant! Wait. Yugi asked a question, didn't he?

"That was a lot of the reason. In my dimension, this is all a TV show... and when I saw it, I really related to his character..."

That was true. I was a bit of an outcast. It wasn't his strength and confidence I related to... it was his lack of understanding sometimes. His being from another time, and not fitting in.

"You did?"

I nodded.

"Watching his confidence made me feel more confident. My friends say I act like him sometimes."

Seeing Yugi smiling was a lot more common than seeing him with any other expression, I came to realize. But it was always sincere, and always kind.

"Well, we'll get to see if they're right!"

Oh. Oh, right. I still had to RolePlay...

"You'll tell me if I'm doing a good job or not, right?"

"Mhm! See? I told you this would be fun!"

I thought for a minute. I was being selfish. This wasn't _all_ about me, after all. If I felt odd, I'm sure Yugi felt it, too. Because even if I looked it, I wasn't the spirit he was used to.

"Yugi...? Did you have any say in this? This whole game?"

He looked a little surprised at the question.

"Well... to be honest, at first I was against it... You know, cause he'd be gone...But he talked me into it! Said it was just for fun, and that you were nice, and that he'd be back soon enough."

I was nice? He watched me enough to form an opinion? He might have known me a little better than I anticipated.

"But you know... the way it worked out... I know you're different. A lot different. But until you showed me that memory, I couldn't really feel the difference... I think it's 'cause of the way the magic worked. "

That was news to me.

"Oh! But that reminds me! You're probably ready..."

What? Ready for what? Was this going to be like "lesson one" where I was thrown completely off guard and had no idea what was about to happen and-Whoa.

Fog was lifted. A mental wall was broken. Something serious just happened. And I could tell you exactly how Yugi felt about it. Relieved a little. Generally happy. I could tell he was there so much better now. I could close my eyes and still know exactly where he was in the room.

To think, this entire time...

"Sorry...I didn't want to overwhelm you at first, so I mostly closed off my end."

The mind-link. Connection. It had several names and descriptions in the fanfictions... but this... This was something I never thought I'd be able to experience. I didn't think it was possible... or real.

"Y-Yugi..." I looked up at him in slight confusion and complete awe.

He sent me comfort and reassurance.

I felt his emotions before, but nothing like this. Before, it was like I had to really think about it to decide what it was. This was very real, and very there, and very strong. Not only could I feel all or at least most, of his emotions at that very moment, but he could send them to me. He could purposefully think them, and send them to me. Could I do the same? I probably didn't even have to 'send' them for him to feel mine right now. Because I was absolutely stunned. Amazed. A little confused.

Before, I could feel that he was there, and I could even feel emotion from him a little, but this was different.

He mentally poked me again, but this time it felt so much stronger.

-You ok?-

It was so much easier to communicate now... no wonder I had trouble at first...

I sent him confirmation without even having to use words. I could get the hang of this.

He yawned. I spun around to look at the digital clock. 9:55.

"Tired?"

The look of surprise only lasted about a second before he stretched and rubbed his eyes.

"No..."

Heh. This reminded me of a conversation I had a lot back at home.

I could feel how tired he was, but I could also feel that he was trying to hide it. We both knew he couldn't hide it from me.

"Yugi, you know better than that." I said, smiling. Or maybe it counted as a smirk at this point.

"Yeah, yeah you're right... Ok, so-" another yawn, " Maybe I _am_ tired."

I had this conversation a thousand times. My protective side kicked in, I think. The side that made sure all of my younger friends and my little brother got sleep.

"You should get some rest."

His eyelids were falling already. He wasn't going to last long, I could tell. And if I actually put in the effort, and tried to get emotions from our mental connection, I knew he was _very_ tired.

"Are you sure...? I didn't wanna leave you alone so soon..."

He yawned again. It had been a long day for the both of us. Particularly me, but I was sure it was long for him too.

"Yes. I'll be fine."

He sleepily crawled into bed.

"If you're sure..."

He slipped the chain holding the Puzzle from around his neck, and laid it carefully beside him. I felt our connection dull, but only slightly.

"Goodnight..."

I could actually feel it when he fell asleep. Thoughts that I could almost hear but not quite went silent. Emotions quieted down until all I could feel from his side was rest, and peace.

I was standing at the foot of his bed. I walked a couple of steps closer, mostly in pure curiosity. When I was close enough to him, with our mental link open as it was, I could even feel him breathing. Not the same as earlier, but I could still feel it. It was separate from myself, but it was there. It was comforting.

I stood there, beside his bed just watching him for a long time. It dawned on me after a couple of hours.

I wasn't getting tired. No, not a single yawn, or even longer blink than normal. Nothing. Of course...

It was then that I realized that this was going to be a long night.


End file.
